Ink
by Harpomatic
Summary: Cosima gritted her teeth, she'd had enough. She'd spent the past forty-five minutes trying her best to ignore the house music blaring through the walls from the building next door, but it had become unbearable. She walked into the tattoo parlor and looked around, no one was at the reception desk. The only person in there was a woman bent over a workspace, her back to Cosima.


**Hey, guys. I saw this prompt on the internet and couldn't stop myself from writing it. Feel free to check out my other story, DHS, which will be updated soon. Enjoy!**

Cosima gritted her teeth, she'd had enough. She'd spent the past forty-five minutes trying her best to ignore the house music blaring through the walls of her shop from the building next door, but it had become unbearable. She made sure no one was in the store before she locked the front door and walked next door, into the tattoo parlor, where the music was somehow even louder. She looked around the room, no one was at the reception desk, and the only person in there was a woman bent over a workspace, her back to Cosima.

Cosima stood there for a couple of seconds, not really sure what to do. On one hand, the person looked rather wrapped up in what she was doing, she appeared to be drawing, on the other hand, the music was unbearably loud and Cosima's skull was pounding. She made her decision and strode over to the girl, Cosima didn't want to scare her, but the music was too loud to do anything else but tap on her shoulder. The worker did exactly what Cosima expected and jumped about a foot out of her chair, cursing loudly. Cosima didn't recognize the expletive, maybe it was in another language? The girl finally turned to face her; Cosima's voice caught in her throat, she was beautiful. She had curly blonde hair and gigantic doe eyes. There were tattoos up both of her arms, one arm was covered in pine trees and the other had a herd of deer running out from underneath the sleeve of her shirt, towards her wrist. Cosima could see the two tattoos merged underneath the edge of her collar. The woman had paused her music with a remote and Cosima realized that she had been staring, she shook her head,

"I'm sorry for scaring you, but your music is really loud." Cosima explained sheepishly, "Could you possibly turn it down a little?" The woman nodded, obviously still a bit shaken up from her scare,

"Uh, yeah, I'll keep it down. Sorry for disturbing you." The blonde woman apologized.

"It's not a big deal, thanks, though." Cosima replied. She didn't know what else to say, but she didn't want to leave, either. "Sorry again, for scaring you. No one was at the front desk and I didn't want to yell at you." This made the woman look over to the empty desk,

"Dammit, Felix." She looked to Cosima and explained, "My receptionist must have left early. It's his music that was playing, I was just putting up with it because I thought he was still here." She stood up and stalked over to the front desk, she was taller than Cosima expected, easily five inches taller than herself. While she was up, Cosima turned her attention to what the woman had been working on. It was a page of various tattoo designs: some were in color, others had sharp edges and corners, others had intricate shapes inside of other intricate shapes; all of them were beautiful. Cosima looked up when she heard the woman walking back, she had a piece of paper in her hands.

"He left a note, he supposedly went out to lunch, but considering the fact that it is eleven in the morning, I'm guessing he just decided to go home." The woman rolled her eyes.

"Man… that blows." Cosima said awkwardly, she flinched at her own words. The girl laughed a little,

"It's no big deal, I'm just mad that he left me to listen to that noise for an hour." She admitted, "My name is Delphine, by the way." She stuck her hand out, Cosima grabbed it and gave it a gentle shake,

"I'm Cosima, I work in the shop next door." Delphine looked at her quizzically,

"You work at the flower shop?" Cosima smiled,

"Yeah, I'm the part time manager. Does that surprise you?" She asked. Delphine shrugged,

"You just didn't strike me as a florist, I guess." She smirked.

"Well, I didn't peg you as a tattoo artist, but here we are." Cosima replied, fully aware of the flirtatious vibes filling the space. Delphine just chuckled. The two talked for a little longer until Cosima decided it was time for her to head back to the shop. The women exchanged goodbyes and went about their days.

They crossed paths again a week or so later when Cosima stepped outside for a quick smoke break. She took a long drag from the joint she was holding when she heard the bell from the tattoo parlor's door chime. She found herself shoulder to shoulder with Delphine, who was pulling a pack of cigarettes out of her coat pocket. Delphine smiled,

"Bonjour, Cosima, how are you today? She asked, lighting one.

"I'm good. Business is slow. I guess January isn't a very popular flower buying time." Cosima answered, "What about you, Delphine? Is business a-boomin'?" Delphine shrugged,

"It's pretty good. Tattoos aren't necessarily seasonal, but I've been busier." They stood in silence for a while, Cosima thought of things to say. She looked around for potential conversation starters and her eyes once again landed on Delphine's tattoos, which were mostly concealed by her sleeves, but Cosima could still see the edges of them around her wrists.

"So, did you design your tattoos yourself?" Cosima ventured. Delphine nodded,

"Yes, do you like them?" She asked, handing Cosima her cigarette and taking off her sweater. Wearing just a tank top underneath, Cosima could get a better look at the inked skin. She examined Delphine's left arm first. She looked carefully at the trees and their details. The leaves were so intricate, Cosima didn't think that tattoos could get that detailed. She saw hooves and antlers beneath some of the tree boughs. At Delphine's chest, the deer ran out of the tree line and down her arm. Cosima stared for a while longer, transfixed,

"They're great. I love them." Cosima breathed. Delphine smiled and put her sweater back on. Cosima returned her cigarette. Delphine accepted it and took a drag,

"I see a nose piercing. When did you get that?" She inquired. Cosima chuckled and brought a hand to the hoop in her right nostril,

"Oh, I got this when I was eighteen. I was feeling a bit rebellious and got it done. I still like it though." She explained. Delphine nodded,

"So, do you have any tattoos, Cosima? I don't see any of those." She asked. The look on her face was unmistakable, a coy smile, vixen-like eyes: Delphine was flirting with Cosima. Cosima figured that two could play at this game, and decided to go along. She let out a breathy laugh and shook her head,

"I can't say I do." Delphine nodded,

"Do you want one? I can give you one, if you want." She offered. Cosima raised her eyebrows,

"Right now?" Delphine shrugged,

"The place isn't busy. I'd do it for free." She answered.

"You'd be willing to do it for free? You've only known me for like, a week." Cosima was confused. Delphine thought for a second,

"Let's just say…I have a feeling."

"A _feeling_?"

"Oui. So, would you like a tattoo?" Delphine asked again. Cosima shook her head,

"Nah, that seems more like a second or third date kinda thing." She says, getting bolder. Delphine's eyebrows shoot up into her hairline, obviously surprised by Cosima's flirtatiousness,

"And what date is this?" She ventured. Cosima just shrugged and put out her joint. She put it in her coat pocket and turned to the other woman,

"I'll see you later, Delphine." She gave a small wave and went back inside, leaving Delphine alone and stunned. The ball was in her court. She went inside a few seconds later to think of her next move.

Delphine's move came six days later, when she entered Cosima's flower shop. There were rows upon rows of different kinds of flowers. The air was cool and slightly damp. It smelled nice, there was light piano music playing softly in the background. The few customers that were in there were different than the people that normally came into Delphine's shop. She wandered to the counter, where Cosima was reading a magazine. She gently tapped her fingers on the wood, getting Cosima's attention. The brunette looked up and smiled when she saw who it was.

"Hey, Delphine! What's up?" Delphine smiled back,

"Nothing much. What about you?"

"Oh, you know, I'm just watching people pick out flowers." The girl shrugged. "What brings you in here?"

"I was hoping that you would watch me pick out flowers." Delphine smirked. Cosima giggled,

"Okay, let's get to it." She sat up straight and looked at Delphine attentively. The blonde laughed and walk towards the shelves. She stopped at a small pot of hydrangeas and looked to Cosima, who shook her head. Delphine shrugged and moved on. She walked a little further back into the rows, passing one of the other customers in the store. She found a bouquet of red and pink carnations, she looked to Cosima and the brunette scrunched up her face a little before shaking her head again. Delphine rolled her eyes and smiled again before going around to the other side of the shelf. She held up a small pot of lavender to show Cosima, waggling her eyebrows. Cosima, careful not to disturb the atmosphere, laughed quietly before mouthing _nice one_. Delphine put the flowers down and walked up the aisle, getting closer to the front of the store. There, in one of the vases, was a vibrant bundle of tulips in various shades of reds and oranges and pinks. She knew it was the one. She picked up the flowers and brought them to the front, where Cosima was still watching.

"Um, yes, I would like to purchase these flowers." Delphine said, jokingly sheepish. Cosima played along with mock formality,

"Yes ma'am. How would you like these wrapped." She asked. Delphine just shrugged,

"I don't know. Whatever you think is best." Cosima nodded and wrapped the flowers in white paper. "How much is this?" Delphine asked, reaching for her wallet. Cosima waved her hand dismissively,

"It's no problem."

"Are you sure?" Delphine asked.

"Yeah, they're on me. I'll take your distracting me as payment" Cosima insisted.

"Thank you, Cosima." Cosima just smiled. Delphine was about to say something when she noticed the customer standing behind her. She apologized and waved goodbye to Cosima, who waved back and turned to assist the customer.

Delphine waited outside of the shop until Cosima was done and the customer had left. She then walked back inside to the counter. Cosima looked her quizzically.

"Back for more flowers?" She asked. Delphine grinned and shook her head.

"Non, I came back to ask if you'd like to get dinner with me…tonight." Delphine admitted. She held the bouquet out to Cosima, who laughed and took them,

"Yes! Yes, of course. My shift ends at six, do you wanna just meet outside?"

"That sounds wonderful, Cosima. I will see you then." Delphine smiled. The two said goodbye again and Delphine left the store.

A few hours later Delphine locked the doors to the tattoo parlor and walked a few short steps to the flower shop, where she could see Cosima untying her apron. She turned and saw Delphine standing outside. The blonde gave a short wave and Cosima returned it.

Cosima opened the door and stepped outside, locking it behind her. She looked to Delphine and smiled,

"So, where to?" She asked excitedly.

"There's a little burger place a couple of blocks from here, does that sound good?" Delphine asked. Cosima nodded. The two walked down the sidewalk, the sun was low in the sky and the streetlights were illuminating the path. Delphine tentatively reached for Cosima's hand. The brunette took her hand and smiled at the ground. The two joked all the way to the restaurant.

Once there, they seated themselves into a small booth and ordered. Delphine thought for a second,

"So, what lead you to running a flower shop?" She asked.

"I needed a job to pay for school. A friend of a friend hooked me up with the job." She explained. "I'm not too passionate about flowers, if you couldn't tell." Delphine laughed.

"What are you studying?" Cosima's eyes lit up,

"Evolutionary development." She said excitedly. It was the most enthusiastic she'd been in the entire time Delphine had known her. Delphine was enamored.

"So, you study evolution? Like monkeys and stuff?" The blonde asked. That was about all she knew about the topic. Cosima laughed,

"Kind of. I'm more focused on the genetic aspects of it." She elaborated. She launched into a discussion about what drew her to the field in the first place, and what interested her so much about it. Delphine listened intently, loving the enthusiasm in the brunette's voice.

They stopped talking for a while after the food arrived. Eventually, Cosima looked to Delphine,

"What got you into the tattoo business?" She asked. Unlike herself, Delphine seemed totally enthralled in her career.

"I love precision. Shapes and symmetry and lines and edges and seeing a finished product." Delphine put simply, "When I was young, my mom told me that I shouldn't doodle so much on my school work, but here I am, doodling for a living." The two laughed and went back to their food.

When they finished, Delphine picked up the tab and began to walk back to their stores. This time, Cosima grabbed Delphine's hand and the two walked in a contented silence. When they got to the front of the tattoo parlor, Cosima came out of her thoughts and looked to Delphine,

"You know what? I think I'll take you up on your offer." She declared. Delphine's face showed an inkling of a grin,

"You want me to give you a tattoo?" She asked in disbelief. Cosima nodded,

"This was a good enough second date." She grinned. Delphine's face broke out into a big smile and unlocked the door, letting Cosima in ahead of her.

Cosima found herself sitting in the chair, Delphine was setting out supplies,

"Do you know what you want?" She asked. Cosima shook her head,

"Not quite, give me a couple more minutes to decide." Delphine just nodded and went to the back to get ready.

She came out a few minutes later, her hair was up and she had taken her sweater off, she was wearing another tank top underneath. She'd turned on some music to help her focus. It was electronic, a woman sang cuttingly over the rhythm.

"Are you ready?" She asked again. Cosima nodded this time and handed her the piece of paper she had drawn her idea on. It was a box with eight smaller boxes inside of it. Traced around the edges of the boxes was a spiral. Delphine looked at it quizzically,

"What is it?" She asked.

"It's the Fibonacci Sequence. It's also called the Golden Ratio. It's a pattern that repeats itself over and over in nature." Cosima explained. Delphine hummed,

"Where do you want it?" Cosima thought for a second,

"On my ribs would be cool." She admitted. Delphine grinned,

"That sounds good. You'll need to lay on your stomach and pull your shirt up." Delphine instructed. Cosima got into position while Delphine put on gloves. The blonde drew a sketch on the woman's skin before she sterilized the area and put an ink cartridge in the needle. "Are you ready?" She asked. Cosima just nodded. "This is going to sting a bit." She warned. She heard Cosima take a deep breath before she turned the needle on. She pressed it to Cosima's skin.

Delphine was right, it did sting. Cosima tensed a little and tried her hardest to remain still. She focused on Delphine's warm breaths brushing against her ribcage. She could feel the needle dragging across her skin, leaving its mark. The stinging went on for a few more minutes and Cosima had grown used to it by the time Delphine turned the needle off.

Delphine stood up to retrieve the large mirror she kept in the corner to allow customers to see the finished products. She held it in front of Cosima, who looked at the reflection delightedly.

"Do you like it?" Delphine asked. Cosima nodded vigorously,

"I love it! Thank you so much!" She replied. Delphine set the mirror down and covered the tattoo with gauze, she took off her gloves and gave Cosima instructions on how to clean the tattoo and what to not do and for how long. Finally, Cosima put her shirt down.

They sat in silence for a few minutes until Cosima grabbed Delphine's hand. She pulled the blonde in and gently kissed her. Delphine returned the kiss and the two stayed like that for several more minutes, slowly ratcheting up the intensity until Delphine pulled away to catch her breath,

"Let's go back to my apartment." She suggested. Cosima smiled,

"That sounds great." She panted. Delphine finished locking up the store and the two strode down the lamp lit sidewalk hand in hand.


End file.
